By Lauren Tjaden
You can do more than pair craft beer with the perfect meal – you can also pair it with authentic Florida experiences.
Thomas Jefferson said, “Beer, if drunk in moderation, softens the temper, cheers the spirit and promotes health.” Shakespeare quoted, “A quart of Ale is a meal for a King.” And Benjamin Franklin mused, “Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.”
You'd be hard-pressed to find a beverage more heralded than beer, and Florida brings the famed concoction to a new level with its craft beers, delivering wheat ales infused with local honey; beers flavored with sweet potato casserole and blueberry cobbler; and one-of-a-kind milk-stouts that include German Chocolate Cupcake, complete with coconut, Madagascar vanilla and cacao nibs.
The perfect way to enjoy these distinctly Floridian brews is to pair them with Sunshine State experiences that are just as unique-- experiences that often inspired the creation of the brews.
You can pay tribute to the fallen at Jacksonville's Veterans Memorial Wall, a somber, 65 foot-long black granite walls inscribed with the names of those who’ve given the ultimate sacrifice for their county, and afterwards, raise a glass to the brothers and sisters who served at Veterans United Craft Brewery
At Weeki Wachee Springs, you can see a famous, epic show featuring real mermaids performing aquatic stunts in crystal-clear spring water; an adventure that's even more memorable when you join it with an expedition to Marker 48 Brewing. While there, sample the Mermaid’s Milk, a smooth, sweet milk stout, or its variant, Strawmaid, Mermaid’s Milk on a nitrogen line and treated with strawberries.
But that’s only a sip of what Florida's booming craft beer culture has to offer.
Check out these articles that invite you to celebrate the state through the flavors of Florida’s craft beer culture.
Florida Beer Pairings: Idyll Hounds Brewing Company and South Walton
Florida Beer Pairings: Grayton Beer Company and South Walton
Florida Beer Pairings: Props Brewery and Fort Walton Beach
Florida Beer Pairings: Proof Brewing Company and Tallahassee
Florida Beer Pairings: Big Storm Brewing Company and Odessa, Fla.
Florida Beer Pairings: Coppertail Brewing Company and Tampa
Florida Beer Pairings: Two Henrys Brewing Company and Plant City
Florida Beer Pairings: Crooked Can Brewing Company and Winter Garden
Florida Beer Pairings: Marker 48 Brewing and Weeki Wachee
Florida Beer Pairings: Engine 15 Brewing Company and Jacksonville
Florida Beer Pairings: Veterans United Craft Brewery and Jacksonville
Florida Beer Pairings: Green Bench Brewing Company and St. Petersburg
Florida Beer Pairings: The Funky Buddha and Fort Lauderdale
Florida Beer Pairings: Swamp Head Brewery and Gainesville
Florida Beer Pairings: Oyster City Brewing Company and Apalachicola
Florida Beer Pairings: Orange Blossom Brewing Company and Lakeland
